A FURIOUS row has broken out after a councillor criticised council officers responsible for gritting Bolton’s roads in an email seen by thousands of staff.

Labour councillors had leapt to the defence of their beleaguered gritting team after questions were asked about why the town ground to a halt after Tuesday’s snow.

Highways bosses said all routes on their winter maintenance programme had been gritted twice just hours before heavy snow fell at around 5am.

Councillor Nick Peel, the executive member for environmental services, said “everything possible” had been done to make the roads safer, but conceded that “we can’t do every single road”.

But yesterday it emerged that opposition Tory councillor, Paul Brierley, had cast doubt on highways bosses’ claims, calling them a “sham” in an email apparently sent through Bolton Council’s global email system.

In the email, seen by The Bolton News, Cllr Brierley, replying to an update from a senior officer to all staff, writes: “One can normally tell when the gritters had been out, however, Turton Rd at 6.25am a nightmare.

“Tonge Moor Road 7.20am a sham there was no evidence of any grit at this time, unless it was virtual grit!!!

“Vehicles bumping each other all the way down both of these roads, so I note your comments, but reality does not match the rhetoric.”

He signs off: “One angry, annoyed car owner trying to get to work to pay his taxes which funds the alleged gritting.” The fierce criticism of officers sparked an angry flurry of emails from Labour members as the argument snowballed.

Cllr Peel said: “Staff have done a tremendous job in very difficult circumstances and should be applauded not criticised.

“I understand and sympathise with the frustrations of the public, but for councillors to publicly claim that the roads were not gritted is irresponsible and is tantamount to saying that staff are lying. This is not acceptable.”

Labour’s Cllr Richard Silvester said: “ I think the criticism that some councillors have levelled — one who sent his comments to all staff as well — has been unjustified. They should apologise.”

His colleague Cllr Akhtar Zaman, added: “Criticising is one of the easiest things to do in life, a luxury often enjoyed by those who do not have to deliver.”

Last night Cllr Brierley said he stood by comments. He said: “I received an email like everyone else and I replied to it. I’m not going to filter who I send emails to.

“Many people who work for the council live in that part of town and as far as I’m concerned we shouldn’t have anything to hide.

“The conditions on those roads were absolutely atrocious. I experienced it first hand. It was quite evident they had not been gritted.”

He added: “I have no intention of apologising.”

His leader, Cllr John Walsh, said: “I will never stop anyone in my group expressing their views.”

nick.lakeman@theboltonnews.co.uk